Patent GB-378531-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to statistical recording devices
Filed: 1931-05-15
Abstract: 378,531. Electric signalling systems. ASSOCIATED TELEPHONE & TELEGRAPH CO., 1033, West Van Buren Street, Chicago, U.S.A. May 15, 1931, No. 14494. Convention date, May 23, 1930. Addition to 333,163, [Class 106 (i), Calculating &c.]. [Class 40 (i).] In perforated card-controlled apparatus for use in departmental stores, a plurality of cardreading units each transmits its readings through hunting-switches, finder switches and decoding devices to adding, printing and punching mechanism at a central station (or accounts room). Three perforated cards (merchandise price card, customer's card, and clerk's card) are inserted in a card-reading unit and at the central station a single card is punched firatly with fixed data (from a master card) and secondly with the variable data from the above three cards. According to the main feature of the present invention, card check means are provided at the punching machine at the central station to test whether the card is in correct position to receive the variable information. In the actual example shown, the fixed data (columns 1, 2, 3 of card 201, Fig. 8) and a skip hole (column 4) are reproduced from the master card 200, card 201 then skips from column 4 to column 21 and the variable information is punched in columns 21 .. 45. The card check consists of two arms 310, 311, Figs. 8 and 11, having contacts on rear projections which are normally separated. If the card 201 is correctly positioned with column 21 under the punches 243 then, when shaft 301 is rotated, arm 310 meets the card and arm 311 just misses it ; arm 311 overtakes arm 310 and the contacts close to allow punching of the variable information. If the card 201 is too far to left or right, both arms 310, 311 meet the card or both arms miss it ; in either case arm 311 fails to overtake arm 310 and punching cannot proceed. When an article to be sold, Fig. 1, is placed in the department an inventory card punched with all the details of the article is sent to the inventory file at the central station, and a similar perforated card 8 is attached to the article. A customer with an account has a perforated card 7, or for a cash transaction obtains one from the cashier. The clerk has a perforated identity card 6. When the article is sold, cards 6, 7 and 8 are placed in a card reading unit 1, Figs. 1 and 2, and the data recorded by adding, printing and punching mechanism at the central station. Statistical cards.-In each card, 6, 7, or 8 the digit in each column is represented always by two holes, the code used being a six-position one, Fig. 7. Card-reading unit. The unit 1, Fig. 2, has an insulating plate 5 encasing pins 65, Fig. 4, one for each position hole position in the cards. The latter are inserted in the openings shown in plates 10, 10<1> and the pins 65 thus exposed by perforations are met, when the lid is closed, by pins 44. At the rear of plate 10 are levers 11 .. 17 which are moved by the cards when the latter are inserted. A row of contacts 9 establish connections, according to the card holes present, with the control circuits. Under the card 8 are type 19 for printing the date of sale thereon by means of the platen 42 on the lid and a solenoid 59 which projects a plunger 80 upwards to strike the type 19. When the lid is closed against spring pressure, a lug 48 thereon enters the opening 49, closing contacts 56 and embracing a shaft 50. If the cards are correctly positioned, magnet 58 is energized to slide this shaft 50 to the right by means of armature 57 and collar 53 so that a collar 501 enters the recess of lug 48 and prevents the lid being reopened. Lamp 46 (green) lights up if the cards have been correctly placed in the unit and data are being transmitted; lamp 47 (amber) lights up to indicate that the line to the central station is already occupied by another card-reading-unit. A lock and key 60 with cam 62 may be used to lock the unit out of use, cam 62 then opening contacts 63. The casing 1 of each card-reading unit also houses the resistances 96, 97, the magnets 101 .. 106 and switch S, Fig. 13 (Fig. 13 shows the electrical lay-out of each unit as shown in Fig. 2). To ensure that the cards are correctly positioned in the apertures in plate 10, the card such as 8, Figs. 2 and 4, has a groove to accommodate lever 12. If the card is correctly placed it forces back levers 11, 13 and leaves 12 untouched. Levers 12, 13 are normally pulled against a stop 70, Fig. 6, by springs 84<1>. Only for a correctly inserted card are the ends of all the levers positioned opposite holes in a plate 83 so that the latter is free to be rocked when the lid of the unit is closed. If plate 8 is free to move contacts 79 close, Fig. 13, to permit the operation to proceed. Card-check device, Figs. 8 and 11. The shaft 301 of the two arms 310, 311 which test the card as above described, is mounted in a bracket 300 screwed to the punching machine. When the card-check magnet 330 is energized its armature actuates parts 303, 302 to move levers 308 (one for each arm 310, 311 normally restraining that arm) to the right, Fig. 11, so that springs 317, 318 cause the arms 310, 311 to move towards the card. When the magnet is de-energized, the levers 318 return the arms 310, 311 and stress the springs 317, 318. Transmission system from card reading units to central station. Fig. 13 shows the electric circuits &c. contained in a single card reading unit as shown in Fig. 2. The pins 65 which read actual holes in a particular set of three cards 6, 7, 8 are indicated by black spots. The lines 401 .. 406 from the card-reading pins pass through switch S to lines A, B, C which are connected at the top left of Fig. 15, to a twomotion finder of the well-known Strowger type having access to one hundred transmission lines. If the card reading unit is thus connected to a finder which is already busy, it is transferred through a chain-start circuit to the next finder until it finds a free one. Once a finder is connected to a unit, that finder cannot be seized by another unit until the punching operations are completed at the central station. The twenty-five columns of pins 65, Fig. 13, are connected to the twenty-five points of wipers A, B, C of switch S in the unit, the connections being shown for columns Nos. 1 and 25 only. The signs +, -, and N on the drawings signify connections to earth, battery, and midpoint of battery respectively. If the unit is unlocked at 60, Fig. 2, and the cards 6, 7, 8 are correctly inserted, contacts 63, Fig. 13, 79 and 56 are closed to give a circuit from earth to 63, 79, 56, 418, 82, 58 and battery. Magnet 58 then locks the lid of the casing 1 and locking circuits for magnet 58 are completed. If the cards are not correctly in the unit, a buzzer and a lamp are actuated to indicate this. There is also a transmission line meter and an " alllines busy " indicator. When start relay 608, Fig. 15, is energized over the start conductor 557 it closes a circuit at 651 for the testing wiper 625 of the finder, in series with stepping relay 602 and slow-acting change-over relay 603. Subsequently magnet 609 is energized to move the wipers 613, 615, 617, 619, 621, 623, 625 one vertical step. Wiper 625 is now on vertical bank contact 624 and the wipers 613, 615, &c., are opposite the first level of bank contacts. Wiper 625 moves vertically from one contact to the next until it finds a conductor which is earthed, whereupon change-over relay 603 is energized and subsequently the wipers 613, 615, &c., are thereby rotated by stepping magnet 610. Stepping relay 602 is energized at the same time as magnet 603 to hold the circuits for relays 600 and 609 closed and open respectively at its armature contacts 635, 636. Further operation of the finder now depends upon wiper 623 meeting a battery potential. When this occurs, relay 600 is energized and at contacts 628 opens the circuit of the stepping magnet 610, thereby arresting the wipers. A vacant line having now been found and connected to the card-reading unit the data from the card columns are transmitted, column by column, by the wipers A, B, C, of switch S, Fig. 13, to the lines A, B, C, Figs. 15 and 16, to energize, for each digit, different combinations of the magnets 704 .. 709. These relays are electropolarized and the circuits through their lower windings polarize each relay so that relays 705, 707, 709 respond only when battery (- ve) is connected through their upper windings and relays 704, 706, 708 respond only when earth (+ ve) is connected through their upper windings. Each digit is represented in its column of card 6, 7 or 8 always by two holes (see Fig. 7) ; hence for each digit transmitted two of the lines A, B, C will be used and will have earth (+ ve) or battery (- ve) connected to them according to the following table:- Two of the relays 704 .. 709 having been energized by the transmission of a digit from the card-reading unit, these two relays then actuate their armature contacts in the latter circuits at the foot of Fig. 16 to extend a circuit over the line 753 and one of the lines 754, 760 .. 769, Figs. 16 and 17, to energize the appropriate punch-setting magnet 255 (see also Fig. 8) for punching the variable information in the card 201 (columns 21 .. 45) at the central station. If, during transmission, an incorrectly perforated card is read, a buzzer is actuated and a lamp lit when the switch S is connected to the faulty card column. The circuits are provided with fuses. When a fuse blows the buzzer is actuated and an alarm lamp is lighted.